Keys of the Past - Elliot Nightray x Reader
by Rage-Dayie-Watson
Summary: 200 years after Elliot Nightray died, the Nightray mansion has rotted, its walls are caving in, and the foundation collapsing. But there was something about this mansion that was... different. One day, you happened to be walking past and you heard a soft, nostalgic melody coming from the mansion. You wanted to know what it was. Of course, something was bound to happen...
1. Chapter One: A Nostalgic Tune

_"Everytime you kissed me I trembled like a child..."_

Lightning struck. Thunder echoed off of the mountains. The rain pattered against the asphalt of the road and the cement of the sidewalk. A small slosh emanated from the ground every time you took another step. Occasionally a car would come by and disturb the peaceful pitter-patter of everything. The weather had been similar to this for the past few days.

 _"Gathering the roses, we sang for the hope..."_

You lightly gripped the umbrella's handle, keeping it steady as a slight breeze threatened to blow it away, a few strands of your (h/l), (h/c) hair straying from their original places. You kept your (e/c) eyes focused on the ground, not wanting to look up and end up getting splattered in the face by rain.

 _"Your very voice is in my heartbeat, sweeter than my dream..."_

You were walking home from the library after returning some books. Your house wasn't very far, and it wouldn't be worth it to waste the gas, so you simply walked.

 _"We were there in everlasting bloom-"_

Just ahead of you was the old Nightray mansion, long abandoned and rotting. Lightning struck the building, causing you to jump a little. It was amazing said building was still standing after all of these years. No one dared to demolish it, but no one dared restore it either. It just kind of existed. Some of the old cement that held the building together chipped off where the lightning had struck, leaving an imprint of the lightning bolt from the top of the building down to the ground.

You passed this building everyday on your way to school, which was, once again, close enough to walk rather than drive.

You lived on your own. Your mother had died shortly after giving birth, and your brother was murdered. Your father had committed suicide due to both of these things. But you were still here, desperately getting by.

You now passed the gate of the mansion. Normally you wouldn't have stopped, but you heard something. It was a male's voice. He was singing. It was slightly disturbing as he was continuing the song you had been quietly singing.

 _"Roses die, the secret is inside the pain. Winds are high up on the hill, I cannot hear you. Come and hold me close, I'm shivering cold in the heart of rain. Darkness falls, I'm calling for the dawn..."_

An eerie silence took hold, the wind blowing a bit harder and howling against the shattered windows of the mansion. You simply stood wide eyed, watching the mansion, trying to see if anyone was nearby, or perhaps if someone had been following you. However, you were on your own, the rain keeping everyone locked inside, whether it be in their cars, houses, or some other building.

You shook your head. There was no way in hell that was possible. You'd probably been imagining things. With a nod, confirming your thoughts, you continued walking back to your house, the thoughts of the male not quite able to leave your mind.

It didn't take long for you to arrive at your house, pulling out your keys and unlocking the door, then pushing it open and heading inside.

You resumed your normal schedule; studying, watching (favorite t.v. show), eating, showering, then getting ready for bed. You ran your fingers through your now wet hair and let the towel fall to the floor, changing into your pajamas.

After a quick walk through the small studio apartment you resided in to make sure all of the lights were off, you went back to your room, stopping at the door as a familiar tune gently filled the air. It was a music box. Such a nostalgic melody...

You glanced back at the front door, only to find that the melody disappeared as quickly as it had made itself present.

Lightning struck, lighting up the house for a brief moment before returning it to darkness. The thunder brought you from your thoughts, allowing you to simply shrug off the music box and flop onto the bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Next Morning~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 _BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

The infernal noise of your alarm clock brought you back to the waking world. Although it was a Saturday, you didn't want to risk sleeping the day away, so you woke up at your normal time; six in the morning.

Your morning went on as usual, with no guy or music box making you question your sanity. You got dressed and ate breakfast, then did the chores that needed to be done around the house. You didn't work today, so you'd be free to do as you pleased all day.

By the time you'd finished everything you needed to do for the day, it was noon. The weather was still rainy outside, but that wouldn't stop you from taking a walk.

You put on your long (favorite color) trench coat and grabbed your umbrella. You walked outside and locked the door, then proceeded to open the umbrella and begin walking. There was no place in specific that you wanted to go, so you just let your feet guide you wherever.

After several minutes of walking, you found yourself stopped in front of a familiar mansion. You were practically bursting with curiosity to find out if anyone was residing within the collapsing walls.

So focused on your curiosity, you had yet to notice the piano music coming faintly from the mansion. It was the same tune. The one from the music box. The one you and the male had been singing.

Unconsciously you closed your umbrella and hid it in the bushes, your feet dragging you up to the mansion's front door as if it were some kind of magnetic force.

With a soft, "Who on earth...?" you walked through the broken door, avoiding the splintered wood. As you entered the mansion, the piano became a bit more clear and loud, the occasional clapping of thunder accompanying it.

Inside the mansion was beautiful. The whole interior had sort of a dark, yet nostalgic glow. There was ivy growing along the walls and a few plants here and there sprouting up in between the cracks of wood. Some of the candlesticks along the walls had been stolen or damaged, hanging loosely by a bit of metal, though some were left untouched and unharmed. Others had some of the ivy twisting around them, covering the old, beige-looking wax. The floorboards, besides being habitat to a few bugs and plants, were cracked, and some were missing to reveal a basement beneath the mansion. The marble-looking stairs were cracked and missing as well, not to mention the severe lack of railing that would have guided people up and down the magnificent set of stairs. Traces of a red carpet remained, although what was left was extremely discolored and tattered. Old paintings on the walls were either mostly destroyed or stolen. But there was one that stuck out.

You carefully made your way up the first set of stairs, facing a rather large painting. On it, although it had its fair share of rips and tears, was a boy of around 16. He had piercing blue eyes and beige hair, and he wore a soft, gentle smile. Underneath his left eye he had a mole. Both of his ears were pierced and contained blue studs. He was dressed like a noble. You ran your finger along the bottom of the painting, brushing some dust off of the old metal.

"E... Elliot Nightray?" You softly spoke. Right... he was the Nightray family's youngest son. The moment you spoke of his name, the music came to an abrupt halt.

Your head shot up in the direction of where you had last heard it coming from. Careful not to fall down any holes or step anywhere that might crumble beneath your feet, you walked up a second set of stairs and down a hallway.

All except one of the doors were closed, although it wouldn't take much effort to open said doors, as they weren't locked and most were already off their hinges anyways. But why was that single door open...? You were going to find out.

You sort of sneaked through the hallway, not wanting to alert anyone of your presence, although sneaking made no difference as the floorboards groaned beneath your feet. The open door remained open as you approached. You peeked inside but saw know one. Leaning against one of the withered walls for a moment, you took a deep breath and let out a sigh, then turned the corner and entered the room.

Inside was a large, beautiful, old grand piano. It was broken. Its keys were cracked, and several of the strings inside had snapped. The bench was knocked over, on the floor, and on the stand was a few papers of sheet music, smeared, torn, and withered away. Similar papers could be found on the ground around it. The curtains were drawn back, held by a rotting piece of cloth, allowing the light to slip in, although they were ripped and tattered, so light would have gotten in regardless. The floor was all in one piece, thankfully. Some old, Victorian-style furniture existed in the room, but most of it had rotten away or had been knocked over, some of it was even stolen. Paintings decorated the walls, though all were unrecognizable. A few droplets of water dropped at a constant rate from the ceiling.

You walked over to the piano, curious to see if it still worked somewhat. After deciding which keys still had strings, you gently let your hand hover over the cracked key before ever-so-slightly pressing it down. You let the out-of-tune note ring through the air for a moment before lifting your hand.

You looked up from the piano and jumped. There was a shadow. Or, rather, in more detail, an apparition. You could feel your heart rate increasing. A ghost...? It was gone just as soon as it had appeared.

It was then that you felt a slight shaking in the ground, then an ear-shattering split. Your eyes quickly flickered back and forth between where the ghost had been, the door, and the ground. As you looked at the ground, there was a noticeable, rather large crack in it. The floor was collapsing! You didn't hesitate to run for the door, forgetting about the ghost and the piano. If only you had left sooner...

It was too late. You felt the ground disappear from underneath you. Gravity took hold, and sent you barreling down to the floor below, following the piano. With a loud crash, the piano shattered, and with a loud thump, your now limp, unconscious body hit the floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 _Ow._

 _All you could remember was pain. All you could feel was pain. All you could see was darkness. All you could hear was a gentle melody flowing in the background. A music box. A piano. Both. And a young boy sat at the piano, his blue eyes closed, his hands moving across the piano to produce such a lovely, nostalgic melody..._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With a grunt of pain and the rubbing of your forehead, you forced your eyes open. The amount of light blinded you, causing you to just close your eyes once again.

"She's awake. Leo. Go fetch a doctor." You heard a voice command. Someone had found you? Maybe it was the other person who had been playing the piano in the mansion before.

For some reason or another, you recognized this voice, like you had heard it once before. That's right. It was the same voice from before who had continued your song.

You wanted to open your eyes to look at who this boy was so you would know who he might be, but your eyes refused to cooperate.

Another male's voice, though not one you recognized, replied quickly, and what he said took your breath away and left you dumbfounded. "Right away, Elliot."


	2. Chapter Two: A Case of Amnesia

You forced open your eyes, letting them adjust to the almost blinding light. After a moment, your vision became clear, and you could clearly see the boy in front of you. It was him.

It was like the painting had come to life. But a painting couldn't express the beauty within his icy-blue eyes. The perfect shade of blue. The kindness that was hidden down deep inside them. They seemed to shimmer, even though he wasn't exactly happy about your presence. Hell, if he was happy about your presence, it might make him look even more amazing. Elliot Nightray was kneeling down in front of you, looking a bit intimidating, as if he was annoyed or he didn't trust you. Or both.

With a glance around the room, obviously confused, you took note that everything had changed. You were in the music room in the mansion... but you could clearly remember the floor collapsing. Not to mention, everything looked so spectacular. There was no ivy growing on the walls and the curtains and floor were in perfect condition. The furniture was in tip-top shape, and not at all stolen. There were candlesticks mounted on the walls, a few of them lit in the darker corners of the room where the light from the outside could not reach. The piano was in astonishing condition, each of the keys perfect and polished. A few pages of sheet music were on the stand, not at all damaged in any way. Just what the hell was going on here?

Seeing as you were well enough to survey the room, Elliot figured you were well enough to answer some questions. "Who are you and how the hell did you get in here?" His eyes remained cold as he towered over you.

It was then that you noticed the black reaper attached to his hip, and decided that it would be best to answer the question before you ended up getting a closer look at it. "I-I'm (f/n) (l/n)... A-and I'm not sure how I got in here..." It was true. You had absolutely no clue how you'd managed to get here. Then an idea came to mind. "Wait... This is a dream isn't it?" You wondered out loud, letting out a soft chuckle. "Obviously I'm still back at the abandoned mansion and knocked out on the first floor. And you're still dead." You said, looking up to the boy.

"Like hell I'm dead. I'm standing right here you, dipshit." He growled. 'This girl must have hit her head a little harder than I'd previously thought.' He thought, studying you. It was odd. You wore odd clothing that he'd never seen anywhere else. And you looked awfully confused.

At that instant, a male with long black hair and glasses, about the same age and a little shorter than Elliot, came back through the door, followed by an older man dressed in white.

That's right. Elliot had sent for a doctor. The black-haired male must have been the owner of the voice that followed Elliot's. That meant he must be "Leo".

Seeing the man dressed in white, which you assumed was the doctor, you were suddenly reminded of the intense pain you'd felt earlier. Your entire body ached and you had a throbbing headache. You slightly groaned, rubbing your forehead and closing your eyes. It then occurred to you that you'd never felt pain in a dream before... Does that mean this was real? That just wasn't possible.

The doctor nodded a greeting to Elliot before walking over to you and examining you. "I don't see any permanent damage... No sign of a concussion..." He continued to examine you, walking behind you. "Miss, I'm just going to make sure your back is alright. You may feel a slight draft..." He pulled off your trench coat and lifted up the back of your shirt slightly. His eyes widened as he lifted it up a bit more. Your entire back was black and blue, covered in bruises and scrapes.

The doctor quickly asked Elliot and the Leo to leave the room. Elliot seemed a bit curious and confused, but Leo dragged him out before he could say anything.

The doctor lifted up your shirt even more, which explains why he insisted on the boys' departure.

"My goodness... You've suffered quite a bit of trauma. What happened to you?" He asked as he carefully pinpointed the first point of impact.

"I was investigating the abandoned Nightray mansion." You began. "I was on the second floor, in the music room, and the floor crumbled beneath me. I fell..." That's the last thing you could remember.

"Miss, you must be confused. I assure you that the Nightray mansion is no where near abandoned. The Nightrays have been here for a very long time."

You knitted your eyebrows together in disbelief. "I pass the mansion every day. It's long since abandoned. It's been left to rot-" you stopped mid sentence, suddenly coming to a conclusion of your whereabouts. "Wh-what year is it...?"

By this time, the doctor was convinced that you were absolutely bat-shit crazy. Though, he still answered your question. "1814."

You shook your head, looking down, wide-eyed. You'd traveled back in time. That explained it. That explained everything; how the mansion seemed to be in perfect order, and how Elliot Nightray was alive.

The doctor's voice broke the silence. "I think it would be best if you got some rest and allowed your body to heal. You've gone through quite a lot." With this, he pulled your shirt back down.

You nodded slowly and finally brought yourself to your feet with a grunt. The moment you were up, you felt insanely dizzy and slightly stumbled. The doctor steddied you with a nod, confirming what he had said.

"Perhaps the Nightrays will allow you to stay here for the time being." He said as he opened the door, finding Elliot and Leo patiently waiting in the hallway. He gently pulled Elliot to the side and discussed your condition in a hushed tone.

You leaned against the wall, running a hand through your hair with a sigh. After a few moments, Leo calmly walked over to you.

He slightly bowed. "I have realized I have yet to introduce myself. I am Leo Nightray, Elliot's valet. And you are...?"

You introduced yourself once again, returning his bow slightly.

"So... Where are you from?" Leo asked, trying to maintain a casual conversation.

Figuring it would be best to keep the whole "future" thing a secret, you replied as convincingly as you could, shaking your head, "I-I don't remember..."

Leo tilted his head slightly, the light that had been reflecting off of his glasses no longer there and revealing his black eyes. They were stunning. Upon further examination, there was some kind of speckles of light glowing within them. Their beauty _almost_ rivaled that of Elliot's. His voice brought you out of your thoughts. "You mean to tell me that you have amnesia?"

You nodded. Amnesia. It would be the perfect cover up story until you could figure out how to get back to your own time.

By this time, the doctor had finished his discussion with Elliot and had taken his leave. Elliot had walked over and heard the tail-end of your conversation with Leo. "Amnesia, huh? That sucks."

You slightly jumped at Elliot's contribution to the conversation, as you hadn't realized he was finished with the doctor. "Y-yeah, that's it."  
Elliot put his hands in his pockets and leaned back against the wall with a sigh. "It looks like you're staying here, then..."

Elliot didn't even need to tell Leo what needed to be done. Leo excused himself from the room and left to go prepare a guest room for you.

You were surprised. Originally, Elliot seemed quite cold and irritated with your presence, but now he was letting you stay at the mansion? You quietly said, "Thank you... I'm sorry for the trouble."

Elliot rolled his eyes, looking away from you. "Yeah, whatever. It's fine."

You couldn't help but glare slightly at the noble. Were you really that much of a nuisance? What had you done to tick him off so much that he couldn't even accept a thanks?! "You know, for being a noble, you're awfully rude." The words came out of your mouth before you had the chance to filter them or put any thought into them.

Elliot scoffed. "You're calling me rude?! You show up in my house uninvited and I allow you to stay here to recover... And _I'm_ the one that's rude?!"

He did have a point there, but his arrogance only ticked you off even more. "Yes! What did I do to you?! Did I upset you somehow?!"

"You disturbed the little peace that I get! Of course I'm upset! I mean, do you know who I am?! How busy I am?!" He snapped back.

"I don't give a-" you began.

Leo had appeared right then, silencing you. "Elliot. This is not at all how you should treat a guest."

"Wha-?! But she started it!" Elliot claimed, obviously frustrated by the fact his valet was lecturing him.

"The hell I did! If you hadn't acted so rude, everything would be just fine!" You huffed and folded your arms.

Leo slightly chuckled in amusement. You acted like you didn't care about Elliot's status as a noble. He was being rude and you had decided to call him out for it, regardless of who he was.

Elliot also huffed and folded his arms, turning away from you. "I assume her room is ready?"

Although Elliot wasn't looking, Leo gave a small nod. Elliot could tell by the silence that he had nodded.  
"Well, would you show her to her room, then?" He snapped with an inpatient tone.

Once again, you became annoyed by how cocky he was acting.

Leo smiled and shook his head. "I'm terribly sorry, Elliot, but I need to go get started on lunch. Perhaps you could take my place?" Although he did have to go fix lunch, the main reason he wanted Elliot to show you to your room was because he was hoping that you and him would come to some kind of truce. You were going to be here for awhile, so he wanted you two to just get along.

Of course, Elliot immediately let out a stream of curse words and protests. Leo wouldn't give in so easily, so eventually Elliot caved in.  
"Come on." Elliot growled, gesturing for you to follow him as he turned to leave the room.

You let out a soft, "hmph," and followed him, slightly glaring at a Leo as you passed him.

Leo smiled slightly, obviously amused by both reactions. He waved slightly before turning to leave towards the kitchen so he could get started on lunch.

Elliot led the way through the beautiful halls, ones that you recognized from before when investigating the mansion in the future.

You couldn't help but slow down and admire all of the decor. The golden chandeliers that hung overhead added to the elegance of your surroundings, even though the candles were not lit. You assumed that they would be even more dazzling when they were lit; the flickering light of the candles dancing along the golden light fixture. The halls were decorated with flowers and paintings, as well as a few pieces of furniture here and there.

Your adventure came to an end as Elliot stopped in front of a door, then reached for the handle and twisted it, pushing it open. He held the door open for you, though it was obvious that he honestly didn't want to be around you right now.

Nonetheless, you thanked him and entered the room. It was rather large for a guest room; equipped with a king-sized bed and a walk in closet. A large dresser sat against a wall with a spotless mirror built into the top of it. That was all you could see because of the dim light.

Elliot followed you inside, leaving the door open a crack. It was now almost pitch-black. However, Elliot didn't need a light. He made his way across the room easily and went over to the curtain, yanking it open, letting a flood of light fill the room.

Your jaw almost fell open as you gazed around the magnificent room. It made you wonder if the room was always like this or if Leo had simply outdone himself.

The walls were painted a deep red, and the floor was hardwood; mahogany to be exact. The dresser was made out of cedar, and made the entire room smell wonderful. The bed was fitted with black sheets. On top was a large grey blanket, and the pillows were a deep red. The color scheme was marvelous. On top of the bed was a dress. It was a (favorite color), lacie, silk dress. You weren't a huge fan of dresses, but you could feel nothing but excitement to wear it. It's not everyday you'd get to wear a dress from the 1800s.

"I take it that the room is to your liking...?" Elliot asked, slightly amused by your silence. Though he didn't show it, he was happy deep down that Leo had done so well for you.

You simply nodded, still looking around in amazement.

Elliot chuckled slightly and walked towards the door. "Why don't you change clothes and get yourself settled in while you're waiting for lunch."

You offered Elliot a slight smile. "Yeah... I'll do that. Thank you."

He nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him, leaving you to get ready for lunch.

((Yay! I completed part two, which is considerably longer than part one by three hundred words, give or take. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! I'll try to update again soon!))


	3. Chapter Three: Stubborn

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p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="247514af1cc2d23fe547a9e143ec4066" After making sure that your hair was okay and your clothing was on right, you left the room. The dress was, in fact, comfortable. It wasn't one of those dresses that fluffed out or were held up by a frame. But that didn't change the fact that you still didn't like dresses. Perhaps after lunch, you would ask Elliot or Leo for something different. You were content for now, however./p  
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p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="71654cc0fb2edd503edb1cf10bcd0b79" You had closed your eyes as you fell, and now you opened them, only to see Elliot right there. He was literally an inch away from you. You felt your cheeks heat up immensely./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2f5a0a2c64c6be1f5fa84015e51ba005" Elliot had done the same. He rubbed the back of his head, grunting slightly, then opening his eyes. He instantly turned a bright shade of red. "H-Hey! Watch where you're going!"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7e2f4df33bc8f7a1565799724326d1d8" You quickly scrambled to your feet, blushing even more. "Y-you should do the same!" you snapped back, slightly stuttering from your embarrassment./p  
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p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1252d61d71301e2be733d5dfa49ed8ad" "Y'know, you could too! It's not like I ran into you on purpose. Not like I knew you were there..." you grumbled. He was acting like you'd done it on purpose. Had people done that to him before or something? Yeah, sure, he was definitely someone that a girl would want to be on top of, but seriously? You blushed even more at your thoughts, trying to dismiss them. Really? That's what you thought about him so far? He was kind of rich, and he was definitely good looking but-! You shook your head with a sigh. It would be best if you just didn't think about Elliot right now. Your thoughts were scrambled anyways, so they wouldn't make a whole ton of sense./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d835bc703482e8263e484aa35c78e625" He rolled his eyes. "Sure."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="20978adadc117d515fe5a741ca2732b7" So far, every time you had run into Elliot, you'd gotten into some kind of argument or a yelling match. Did he really hate you that much? Was your presence here just that infuriating?/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b322bf910bb4436a1f0c7e087a26af03" You let out yet another sigh as you pushed past him, mumbling a small, "Sorry." Elliot simply glared at you as you passed. You rolled your eyes and went into the dining hall. It was just as beautiful as all of the other rooms and hallways./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e0e37b8529a9e72b97f43c9e21dc4f6d" That's where you quite literally ran into Leo. Jeez! It hadn't even been five minutes! Luckily Leo was accustomed to being run into for whatever reason and managed to keep upright./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3c39d38cbd0aa2b3c7247375333f78a1" "I'm terribly sorry... are you alright?" Leo quickly apologized./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="16c5cbe74c3433a6c5fd2aa628c847b7" "I'm fine!" You accidentally snapped. After that run-in with Elliot, you were a little snappy. You really didn't mean to snap at Leo like that... "I'm sorry, Leo..."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ab732c471521a9a87d0efc542361748b" Leo seemed to understand. "It's quite alright, (y/n). Did something happen?" He asked. He knew there must be something that upset you./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d30a6ee7e7b0bcf31f927c9c721a4213" To be honest, Leo was the only person you'd met so far that you actually liked. Maybe even so much to consider as a friend. Then again, you'd hardly met anyone. At the very least, you liked him enough that you felt that you could tell him. "Has Elliot always been such a stubborn ass?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9dbbf1ad76550a7bd4313b95b12d0142" The question had completely caught Leo off-guard, and it took him a moment to process it. After a moment, he let out a chuckle and nodded. "Yes, he always has been that way... but you've only seen the bad side of him so far..."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5c4c5621a88ed557f024d880e766a218" "You're implying that there is a good side to him."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="794c1f87d6a2920f1fb69de871e1724c" Leo smiled. "He does have a good side... he just doesn't show it often. Maybe if you try to get to know him a little more, he'll warm up to you."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7c5682982c5e639d0a49f97d5e428944" em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Oh sure, like that'll happen./em you thought. Well, it's not like you necessarily cared whether or not he liked you, but it would make things a whole lot easier if you didn't have to argue with him about everything at nearly every turn. Hey, it might even be nice to have an actual conversation with him for once. Nonetheless, Leo had helped calm you down. "Thanks, Leo..."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c5a9427d6989d5492eed56749f12d64d" He remained smiling as he turned to go back into the kitchen. "My pleasure. Oh! And lunch is ready." He retreated back into the kitchen./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="efd2d067d950d7c2a2f4bcd3fc139b7b" To be honest, the last thing you wanted to do right now was spend time with Elliot./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="387cc85a74cc70818c68bc280dd1ebe6" With that in mind, lunch passed quickly, as you ate as fast as you could to get out of the same room./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ed313c39378f9e008d9c764a1e84481c" The entire time, there was nothing but an awkward silence lingering in the air. The food was amazing, but you just couldn't stay there for long with it just being you and Elliot. Besides, you had more important things to do than linger./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="810171641073e28b2640e28332d096f0" You had to find out how to get home. But the problem was that you had no idea how. You might end up having to tell someone about the whole "future" thing. Who, though? Leo? Elliot? Hell no! Not Elliot! It's not that you didn't trust him... it's that you doubted he would believe you, therefore not being much help./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="24c5669a0750111543934a5051eee591" Looks like you'd have to put your trust in Leo. However, it occurred to you that since Leo is Elliot's valet... he might tell Elliot! You'd just have to hope he didn't. Time to go find Leo./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="740c89c90b37b75b00f31588424cfb3a" You went back to the dining room, where Elliot had already eaten and left the room by now, since that was the last place you'd run into Leo. You opened the door that led to the kitchen slowly, not wanting to hit any of the servants within the crowded, busy kitchen. It took a moment to find him, but there he was; exiting the kitchen through the rear entrance./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="04015293428d47e6dca8ff35e69c8a67" You made your way through the kitchen, forgetting to stop and admire its size and structure. "Leo!" You tried to call out to him, but he couldn't hear you over the noise of the bustling kitchen. Eventually you made it to the other side and pushed open the door, looking for the black-haired male./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="30c111f62bf10364eb5a082b001914b5" You caught a glimpse of Leo's jacket around the corner, and rushed after it. However, when you got to the corner and turned it, you saw no one. Looking down the hallway, you saw doors upon doors. He could have been in any one of them! With a sigh, you started searching. It didn't take long for you to notice the door that was just barely cracked open, and you reasoned that he must be in there./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="17e165787375dfd8fa7b7778dbd843c9" When you peeked in, you recognized Leo and nearly called out to him, but stopped once you saw Elliot. They were talking, just loud enough for you to hear./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2e7531259276fc2552bd7be0bcc3de94" "She can't stay here. You and I both know that. The doctor said that she was clearly crazy. She belongs in the nuthouse!" Elliot claimed, folding his arms./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7c3cc54c9be75ad3e1ac558327c0a5e1" "She isn't crazy, Elliot. It's just the amnesia. That wild story she told the doctor was probably just something she came up with to fill in her memories..." Leo responded./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f709a03698865b190d3d757c875c8ebf" "But she said I was dead! I'm only 16! I've a long life ahead of me, so what would prompt her say such a thing?!" Elliot asked, narrowing his eyes./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f139cb8c07c08df660085b3cea72b79b" Leo didn't know. How could he? "I'm not sure... maybe we could go ask her?" The moment the question was spoken, Elliot shook his head./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e0f9b046eeae3e281521ae1b560f034a" "Leo, she's crazy. Any answer you might get from her will most likely be wrong."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0c327b7576c17aa5b6da5550bcb150e0" "She isn't crazy! And you don't know that!" How stubborn Elliot was being was clearly pissing Leo off. So far, you'd only seen Leo in his kind, gentleman-like state, but this was different./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="213b8519ce481a3e39ea60e3c8d1aba4" "Yes, I do! The doctor agreed with me. She can stay here until she has healed, then she's off to the nuthouse!" Elliot exclaimed, standing up from the seat he'd been sitting in. "I am not about to go to her for answers!"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c6780e268ae7accb20e8de9c21e8678e" Through this entire conversation that you'd overheard, you honestly couldn't take offense. After all, you had sounded pretty insane when you first got here. However, what was ticking you off was how much Elliot seemed to ignore Leo's reasoning. Elliot thought he was right, so he wouldn't listen to another's opinion. Or maybe he had and he just wasn't showing it. Either way, it was just another thing about Elliot that got on your nerves./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2c5b01d117e83a2d5515f62179965d99" Then it occured to you; Elliot just said after you healed, you were going to be put in the asylum. Surely that meant you had about a week to figure out how to get back home. Damn. If you didn't figure out how to get back before then, you'd be stuck here forever! In an asylum, just to make matters worse. Great, so now you actually had a time limit to figure out how to get back. That was unless you managed to convince Elliot that you weren't actually crazy. But what could you do to do that? Tell him about the future? You severely doubted he'd believe you. You'd have to gain his trust. You'd have to get close to him. You nearly scoffed at the idea, but remembered that you had to stay silent so you werent caught. It seemed evil trying to decieve him like that, but with matters being the way they were, you hadn't much of a choice./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a861bf077bb229740bad4a39f0c7308e" Through your thinking, you hadn't noticed Elliot making his way over to the door, giving Leo a slight glare. The moment you realized he was coming towards you, you panicked. You had to hide somewhere fast. If Elliot found out you had been eavesdropping on their conversation, he'd be furious!/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0b8f533e932f4783fd5545a9d570b24f" You looked around, looking for somewhere- anywhere- to hide. There was no where to hide that Elliot wouldn't spot you the moment he came into the hallway. You'd have to hide in one of the nearby rooms./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c53da5a80648a36ff4fe2e3e99dca0ba" You quickly backed away from the door and bolted for the nearest room, which was, thankfully, unlocked, however, occupied./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="06e481ab6609a8a1e1810c61da1ccc76" But you hadn't noticed the blonde-haired man. You kept your eyes trained on Elliot through the cracked door, watching him leave the area with your wide, (e/c) eyes./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b96487590db53fe113faa1bc2c236509" Once Elliot had left the area, you let out a relieved sigh and turned around to lean against the door. However, you jumped when you caught sight of the man now in front of you who wore an amused smile./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3aa5ce060ee29fab00795d8bf5a70920" He had long, blonde hair that draped over his shoulders, clearly outlined against the black fabric of the coat that he was wearing. The coat had a golden trim, with a symbol on the chest./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="44cf2b9ad1231794afa2129aaeb6a158" You'd seen this symbol before. That was the Nightray family crest. So this man was a Nightray. You wondered how he was related to Elliot. A brother, perhaps?/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4c096cf2dcdbeb894f98bffb614c9e6d" His heterochromatic eyes remained trained on you, the left one gold, and the right, crimson./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b6491e9fe950d223945e339821c3e674" He was significantly taller than you, taller than even Elliot, so he towered over you./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="47f7b6559186d609de69131b7c534cc1" He finally spoke, his voice like satin, "My my... what do we have here?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="de4d9c15d6acdf00b891e8ddd615ecc2"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"((Yay! I finally completed chapter three! I'm sorry for its incredibly late arrival, but it's finally here! I kinda had a writer's block -and also a lack of internet- for a few days. I will update soon! I promise!))/em/p 


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